Larry Brody's Guide to Writing for the Medium Everyone Loves to Hate

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie #89

Chapter 89: Game-Changer
by Leesa Dean

So, big news in the internet world this week.

First: Woody Allen partnered with Amazon Studios to do his first tv series. Which means it’s gonna be on Amazon Instant Video. Which is a game changer. It’s big. And says a lot about how things have been shifting in the world of tv.

It’s a big deal that Allen’s doing a tv show. Since there are cable networks that would have given him complete creative control (HBO comes to mind), it’s incredibly interesting that he chose Amazon. And it says a lot about the value of streaming internet networks like Amazon and Netflix vs. cable and network tv, which both feel like dinosaurs right now. HBO was incredibly smart to expand HBOGO as internet streaming service independently (in a few months, cord cutters will be able to pay for HBO without signing up for cable tv). The internet is where the action is.

And almost to punctuate the significance of all this, Amazon won a few trophies at the Golden Globes including best TV series for it’s original program Transparent and best actor in a tv comedy (Jeffrey Tambor in Transparent). That is HUGE. It not only was Amazon’s first-ever Golden Globe, Transparent was the first online series to win a best series award.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you’re a writer or director and not doing something on the web (and no, looking at porn and cat videos doesn’t count), you’re gonna get left behind.